Total births
21,219
Boys' name · since 1880
Duncan
Duncan has 21,219 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1997 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1103
- among boys today
- 21,219
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Duncan is the #1103 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 21,219 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Duncan recorded 21,219 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1103 nationally today, ahead of 92% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1103 among boys today
- 21,219 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Duncan is currently the #1103 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 21,219 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1103
- among boys today
- 21,219
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Duncan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1103
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Duncan was born in this single decade.
1997
Single peak year
644 babies were named Duncan in 1997 - its busiest year on record.
How Duncan compares
21,219 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Duncan's all-time total is 58x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Duncan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,219 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 644 | 23 | 22,252 |
Duncan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Duncan splits its recorded history at 1953: 82% of all births land in the more recent half, 18% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1901 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1997 peak of 644 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Duncan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1997
Current rank
#1,103
Active since
1880
Duncan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1997)
- 644
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Duncan popularity over time - girls
11 total births recorded since 1996 (Duncan as girls' name)
Duncan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Duncan's strongest decade.
4,221 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Duncan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 139
1880s
139 births
- 1890s 117
1890s
117 births
- 1900s 116
1900s
116 births
- 1910s 542
1910s
542 births
- 1920s 767
1920s
767 births
- 1930s 653
1930s
653 births
- 1940s 1,178
1940s
1,178 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,783 births
- 1960s 1,389
1960s
1,389 births
- 1970s 933
1970s
933 births
- 1980s 1,414
1980s
1,414 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,221 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,965 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,687 births
- 2020s 1,315
2020s
1,315 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 4,221 births (20% of all-time use).
How Duncan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Duncan's total volume
Duncan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Duncan by state
Where Duncan concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,909 | 9.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 1,246 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,193 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 855 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 812 | 3.8% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 739 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 689 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Washington | | 634 | 3.0% |
California share of Duncan's total US births 9.0%
Even split
1,909 of 21,219 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Duncan appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Duncan? ▼
21,219 babies have been named Duncan since 1880. It currently ranks #1103 among boys. The peak year was 1997 with 644 births.
When was Duncan most popular? ▼
Duncan was most popular in the 1990s decade with 4,221 total births. The single peak year was 1997.
Where is Duncan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Duncan are California (1,909 births), New York (1,246 births), Texas (1,193 births).
How long has the name Duncan been used? ▼
Records for Duncan go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Duncan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dung, Dune, Dunbar, Dunte, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Duncan's data
- Duncan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (4,221 total births); usage has since declined to 1,315 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Duncans (1,909 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Duncan
Nearby Names Like Duncan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Duncan
Dung Boy
469 births
Dune Boy
#5063 103 births
Dunbar Boy
76 births
Dunte Boy
23 births
Dunta Boy
10 births
Compare Duncan side by side: Duncan vs Dung Duncan vs Dune Duncan vs Dunbar
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Duncan
Kaleo #1102
2,252 births · Peak 2025
Andreas #1104
8,630 births · Peak 2006
Branson #1101
8,226 births · Peak 2014
Yasir #1105
3,267 births · Peak 2019
Carmine #1100
13,950 births · Peak 2006
Blaise #1106
8,768 births · Peak 2015
Toby #1099
34,846 births · Peak 1975
Denim #1107
2,721 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Duncan: #1103 Boys' Name - 21,219 Births, Peak 1997." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/duncan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Duncan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.